The Lunyala 'K' simple sentence - a role and reference grammar analysis

Abstract

This study was aimed at analyzing the Lunyala 'K' simple sentence using a Role and Reference Grammar theoretical framework, purposely to ascertain how the RRG’s layered structure of the clause can account for the simple sentences in this Language. The syntactic, semantic and focus structures of the Lunyala ‘K’ simple sentence were investigated within the Role and Reference Grammar framework. The Objectives of the study included: Establishing whether Focus structure determines the arrangement of elements in a simple Lunyala ‘K’ sentence; finding out if Constituent projection determines the Focus domain in a simple Lunyala ‘K’ sentence: determining whether the Operator and Focus projections are related in a simple Lunyala ‘K’ sentence and representing the Lunyala ‘K’ simple clause using the Role and Reference Grammar (RRG). The study revealed that various elements of the Lunyala ‘K’ clause can be accounted for using the RRG’s Layered Structure of the Clause (LSC). The constituent projection of the clause in which case we identified the non universal properties of the clause in Lunyala, such as the left detached position (LDP), right detached position (RDP), pre-core slot (PrCS) and post-core slot (PoCS) elements was analyzed. The study revealed that the ‘who’ and ‘what’ Wh- words in Lunyala ‘K’ can occur both in the Precore slot and the post-core slot. The study also discussed the Lunyala ‘K’ Noun Phrase, showing how the modifying elements portray the concordial agreement from the head noun. It showed that the NP can consist of the head and its modifiers, which follow a strict order of co-occurrence. It was also evident that in nearly all cases, the modifiers occur to the right, that is, the noun precedes its modifiers. It also demonstrated that the RRG’s layered structure of the Noun Phrase (LSNP) can account for the various operators in the Noun Phrase. It also revealed that the verb, depending on its classification, is so important in determining the macrorole element in a Lunyala ‘K’ sentence. The study also revealed the interrelatedness of the constituent projection, operator projection and the focus projection. Focus structure was seen to determine the arrangement of elements while the focus domain is determined by the constituent projection. On the other hand, given that the Potential Focus Domain falls within the Illocutionary Force operator, it became evident that the operator and focus projections are related.